


heturam

by MageOfCole



Series: Cole Does Whumptober 2020 [22]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted assassination, Clone Troopers Deserve Better (Star Wars), Dead Sheev Palpatine, Gen, Hurt CT-7567 | Rex, Hurt Keeli (Star Wars), Keeli Lives (Star Wars), Minor CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Minor CC-5052 | Bly/Aayla Secura, Order 66 Didn't Happen (Star Wars), Party, Poisoning, Protective CC-1010 | Fox, Protective CC-3636 | Wolffe, Rex and Keeli are batchmates, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27335668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MageOfCole/pseuds/MageOfCole
Summary: (mouth burn)The War is over, the Sith Lord is dead, and the Jedi are safe, but the clones still don't have sentient rights. So here Rex is, a brightly coloured drink in hand, to try and drum up support for Senator Amidala's Cloned Beings Rights Bill.(No.22 - Do These Tacos Taste Funny To You?)
Relationships: CC-1010 | Fox & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-7567 | Rex & CC-3636 | Wolffe, Keeli & CT-7567 | Rex
Series: Cole Does Whumptober 2020 [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949908
Comments: 24
Kudos: 170





	heturam

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Everything_or_Anything](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Everything_or_Anything/gifts).



Rex scowls furiously at the luridly bright drink General - _“Call me Anakin, Rex! The War’s over!”_ \- Skywalker had shoved into his hands with the claim of it being one of Senator Amidala’s favourites.

“Relax, Rex!” Skywalker had said, “Drink, mingle, have some fun!”

 _Well_ , Rex didn’t feel like having fun. It may be petty of him, but he hates the situation he’s found himself in. His skiing prickles nervously, and he lifts his eyes, searching for whoever was watching him - but unfortunately there’s a lot of eyes on him. It’s too open, there’s too many people - too many possible assassins, too many places where an attacker could be hiding. He hates it; he wishes he could have opted out of the whole thing like Cody or Bly had - off to enjoy their honeymoons with their stupidly attractive Jedi - and not needing to be fawned over and stared at by Senators who had been sending them to their deaths without hesitation for the last three years. The War was over, Fives had revealed the identity of the Sith Lord, and the Jedi were safe, but his brothers weren’t yet secure. It’s why he’s here, wearing an uncomfortable suit of what Senator Amidala assured him was the height of Alderaani fashion instead of his armour, and performing like an animal in a zoo for beings who had never seen combat to gawk at. All to ensure that the clones could get the most basic of sentient rights.

All the Commanders are present, and unfortunately that includes Rex now, because apparently General Skywalker promoted him two years ago but _forgot to mention it_. So he has to stay, to stand around and look pretty while Senator Amidala and her small group of sympathetic coworkers try to convince the Senators of the Republic that he and the other Vode are thinking, feeling beings who can do more with their lives then just die for them.

Rex grumbles a line of vicious curses he had heard General Kenobi use once - enough to make a pirate blush, Rex knows, because Kenobi had used it all on Hondo Ohnaka once and the pirate had instantly proposed - and ducks into a small alcove for a moment of peace, to avoid more stares and try to catch his breath. He knocks back a mouthful of the vivid purple and blue drink in his hands with a grimace.

“Why the long face, brother-mine?”

Rex jerks slightly at the voice, not having expected anyone to talk to him, to find that while he had been distracted, Keeli had wheeled himself over to join him. He hadn’t known that his batchmate would be attending - Keeli technically didn’t have a rank in the GAR anymore. He had survived the destruction of his battalion, but only barely, and had spent almost an entire year in bacta to heal; he still had limited mobility in the lower half of his body and looked almost wasted away, with too-sharp bones under too-thin limbs.

“I’m surprised General Che let you out of the Halls of Healing.” Rex drawls, but he gives his brother a quick once-over to check on him. He had put on weight over the months since the War ended, and his skin had started to take on a healthy tan once more, but he still looks like a hard gust of wind would knock him over. He’d had someone cut his hair back to the buzz he’d had after leaving Kamino, and whoever had picked out his suit had gotten it fitted perfectly to his measurements so that he wasn’t swimming in the fabric. The dark bags under his eyes are still there, his eyes are still dark with grief, but he’s smiling, a rare sight nowadays, and there’s a plate of various small foods balanced on his lap.

“I’m here to try and get the pity vote.” Keeli tells him cheerfully, but it sounds fake to Rex’s ears. “Proof that us clones will need long term care and help now that the War is over - that we were _damaged_ by the battles, and we bleed too.” He pops some sort of pastry into his mouth, rolling his eyes. “Though I think I started a diplomatic incident.”

Rex raises a slow eyebrow, taking another mouthful of his drink, enjoying the burn it left on his tongue on the way down. It’s definitely fast acting, because he’s already starting to feel floaty - no wonder Senator Amidala liked it. “Oh?”

“Senator Syndulla just about challenged Burtoni to a duel for my honour.” Keeli says in dark amusement, and Rex scowls at his drink at the mention of the Kaminoan Senator, glad that the bright alcohol is strong enough to give him a buzz. “I’m pretty sure her days in the Senate are numbered.”

“I hope her days in general are numbered.”

Keeli snorts, lifting one of the foods in a mock-toast, “Here’s to that.” He chirps, and shoves the little cake into his mouth. He chews for a moment, then pauses thoughtfully, “Well, Skywalker actually has taste.” Keeli says after a moment, then grins cheekily at Rex, “Though I probably have his better half to thank for that.”

“Skywalker got you too?” Rex asks blandly, quickly downing the last of his drink to blink around the room. It’s a lot quieter than he remembers, the sound muffled - but the lights are bright, and they send stabs of pain into his aching head.

Keeli snickers, “He’s been making his rounds - I saw him trying to convince Commander Fox to try some sort of candied fruit.”

“He’d hate that.” The blond clone snickers, but he has to cough when the sound catches in his throat. He grimaces faintly at the pain in his chest - coughing was never fun, especially not with lungs scarred by a super plague.

“I do hate it.”

Rex jerks, swaying slightly as he turns too quickly to see that two more brothers have joined them. Fox is scowling in the general direction of the crowd, but Wolffe is watching Rex with a faint furrow in his brows.

“How much have you drank, blondie?” The one-eyed Vode asks gruffly, eyes narrowing.

“Jus’ the one.” Rex says - or, rather, he slurs - and he frowns slightly in confusion, trying to wet his suddenly dry mouth. He coughs again as his body cramps painfully, and he finds himself swaying again, suddenly feeling chilled.

Fox’s hand catches him by the elbow, drawing Rex’s attention to him. His brother looks openly worried, and it’s not an expression Fox wears well, “Rex, where did you get that drink?”

The younger Vode blinks groggily, and he can feel sweat beading on his face and neck, his mind foggy. It takes him a moment to completely understand what Fox is saying, and longer still to make his tongue and mouth form his response. “From th’ Gen’ral.” He rasps, and there’s a weird light in Fox’s expression.

“From Skywalker?” Fox asks, and he’s pulling a comm from the sleeve of his suit, cursing under his breath. Rex nods mutely, swaying where he stands. “Keeli - don’t eat any more from that plate.”

“Right.” Keeli’s voice sounds shaken when he talks, and Rex frowns, trying to turn to check on his batchmate, but he finds himself staggering clumsily into a broad chest dressed in grey fabric.

Wolffe. His words are muffled, even as close to Rex’s ear as he must be as Rex uses him as a pillar to lean against. “-going on?” The Commander growls, wrapping his arms around Rex’s hips, and it’s really the only thing holding him up at the moment as the world starts greying around the edges.

“Poison.” Fox is saying. “-get him out of here - medic coming - Guard - probably meant for Senator Amidala.”

Rex blacks out, surrendering to blissful unconsciousness. His last thought before everything fades is that Cody would be pissed that he went and got himself poisoned without him.

**Author's Note:**

> So, looks like I'll be posting the rest of Whumptober into November lmao


End file.
